9 Shades of Yellow That Totally Wow

If you're looking to brighten up your home, you're in the right place. We're sharing our favorite shades of yellow, plus designer tips on how to decorate around each hue to really make it shine.

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Ellen McDermott

The Look

A sunny shade of yellow adds to the charmingly retro feel of this Chicago kitchen.

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CQ

Color Inspiration: Babouche

"In a guest room that seems a little staid, paint the bed. This is a Ming yellow like you see in Chinese silk robes, with a little lemon and mustard in it, which gives it more dimension." — Kim Alexandriuk

Make it yours: Farrow & Ball's Babouche 223

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Eric Piasecki

The Look

Designers Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller took inspiration from the yellow backsplash when selecting the cheery wall color for a kitchen in a Naples, Florida, home.

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CQ

Color Inspiration: Dalila

"One of my favorite spots in Florence is sitting on the balcony of the Lungarno Hotel — all those shades of sun-drenched yellow. It's a color you see in every Italian town; you wonder how they got it so right." — Elissa Cullman

"I'm looking at yellow now in a different way. To me, it's classic American decorating, but I'm rethinking it for a modern context. It looks great with blue and white, which is how it was traditionally used. But try it with a red-and-white toile, a black-and-white check, a tartan plaid, or a floral chintz, which I am seriously into again." —Anthony Baratta

Make it yours: C2 Paint Daffodil C2-620

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Francesco Lagnese

The Look

In the Palm Beach, Florida home of Liza Pulitzer Calhoun, colors were chose with care and thought. The dining room walls are painted mustard yellow "because yellow goes so well with candlelight," Calhoun says.

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CQ

Color Inspiration: DKC-30

"It's the color of afternoon light — that end-of-the-day moment when it feels warm and mellow and everything has a glow. I'm thinking some beautiful house on the Mediterranean, and we're sitting outside and eating figs with a bottle of white wine." — Sara Bengur

"This is a medium-strength yellow, the color of fresh pineapple. People love it. It's just a happy color. Try it in a living room or dining room with a pale blue ceiling and white woodwork. It's like sunshine. Everything looks good against it — blue-and-white porcelain, a floral chintz." — Mario Buatta

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore's Sundance 2022-50

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Ngoc Minh Ngo

The Look

Bright yellow walls brought a zesty energy to the kitchen of a North Carolina house by designer Lindsey Coral Harper.

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CQ

Color Inspiration: Showtime

"[An entryway] is one of those spaces that people go through quickly, so you can afford a higher level of drama. Often, there's not natural light, so you need a heavily saturated color like this warm, yolky yellow. Get it in full gloss because the gloss gives it depth, and it's much simpler to apply than glazing." — Christopher Drake

Make it yours: Benjamin Moore's Showtime 923

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Melanie Acevedo

The Look

"This was a peachy-toned oak 'family room' that read more like a second-tier hotel lobby," designer Nick Olsen says. "I convinced the owners to paint over all of it — walls, wainscoting, beams, andfireplace mantel — in this taxicab yellow. It instantly became the warmest room in the apartment!"

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CQ

Sunnyside Lane

"It's hard to get yellow right — usually it's too green or too red or too muddy. But this is nice and clear, without being shrill. If it's too vivid, it's like living in an omelet." — John Yunis

"I'm attracted to warm colors that kind of wrap their arms around you. This is like candlelight, with a wonderful golden glow. I'll put layers of glaze over it so it's as rich in daytime as it is at night." —William Eubanks

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